Adorable 8 weeks old Greater Swiss Mountain Puppies

Adorable 8 weeks old Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Puppies males and females available. Up-to-date with all vaccinations checked by the vet. Asking $795 for each.

Is a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Right for You?

Swissies need to be with their families! They were bred to work with people and a Swissy will not do well being locked up away from the action or stuck in the backyard. They love to pull and teaching them to pull a cart is a great family activity.

Swissies need to be trained! Being a large breed Swissies take time to grow and stay in “puppy hood” for close to three years; as a result house training can be a challenge, but once they get it there are no more problems. The best thing to is set a schedule for every couple of hours or so to take them outside and encourage them to potty. Once they do praise them!

This is also the time to structure their position in the pack, have them wait for their food until you tell them it is okay; perfect place to involve the kids and have them establish their higher position in the pack. Do not let any dog run the house. Understanding and training your Swissy young will go a long way in preventing behavioral issues that may be more difficult to train them out of when they are a 100+ pounds and set in their ways.

Walks are also a great way to establish their position in the pack, NEVER let a Swissy, or any dog, walk in front of you. They should happily remain at your side while you are walking and sit when you stop. This can take time so make sure you have the time and patience to properly leash train, involve everyone in the household.

Swissies like to “bump” into you and fling your hand up with their heads for a pet. They need to be taught from a young age to curb this habit, especially if there are kids or elderly persons around. They need to understand boundaries. They also love to lean on you and lay by your feet or in the busiest pathways of the house, so just be aware that if you get up to move around they will probably be right in the way.

While the Swissy needs room for its size, as long as they have moderate activity and exercise they are fine with smaller homes. Remember that they have a deep and loud bark and will alert to almost any sound. If you have neighbors close by, they could get annoyed. Swissies are happy with what ever activities their families do or don’t do as long as they get their daily exercise. If they do not get enough exercise, they can be very mischievous.

Exercise, discipline and affection are not just a good order of rules to follow; they should be the only order to follow. Swissies are social climbers and need to be reminded who the leader is, make sure you have the time and patience to do this gently and consistently.

While great with kids, no large dog should be left unattended with young children. Swissies love to play and can unintentionally knock over youngsters. However, as I have seen with our Swissies, they are a great guards and watch over our kids like a flock of sheep, constantly scanning the environment and keeping aware of where the kids are. Play time with our kids means having to put up with big dogs getting in the way. As soon as the kids start to laugh and scream the dogs are right there making sure they are okay.

Swissies do not like things out of place, or strangers coming unannounced. They are diligent and bark loud at any strange noises or people. They will stand their ground and usually have to be told more than once to stop barking. But once they see the family accept a person or situation, they will settle in to meet and greet.

Socializing your Swissy is very important. Some Swissies, especially intact males, can be dog aggressive. I personally have not seen an aggressive Swissy, but I have heard about one or two. This is why socialization at an early age is crucial. Get them into as many different situations as possible with as many different people as possible and show them how to behave and accept new experiences as they grow. Doggy kindergarten is a great way to begin. Make sure everyone in the house is involved in socializing and training. Bring over neighborhood kids and have them play with your puppy. Get involved in carting, herding or pulling; Swissies love to have a job.

Swissies medical health can be an issue, although we thankfully have not had any problems. Some Swissies can be prone to epilepsy and extra eyelashes that turn in and can scratch the eyes. As with all large dogs, bloat and hip and elbow dysplasia are a concern. Bloat is life threatening and can be a costly situation. Make sure you do not allow your dog to play for at least a half hour after they eat. Problems such as epilepsy will require medications or surgeries, so make sure you can afford any contingency.

As puppies Swissies grow rapidly and during these growth spurts their bones and development are very fragile. When they are young a Swissy can not handle unlimited exercise such as jogging and rough housing. Be careful with your Swissy as they think they are deers. They will jump into any vehicle, no matter how high and back down again. This puts pressure and stress on their spine and joints which can degrade if the activity is kept up.

Swissies are shedders. Their dense undercoat sheds all year and they “blow their coat” twice a year, this makes for a lot of sweeping or vacuuming. Regular brushing can lessen your cleaning efforts plus, Swissies LOVE to be brushed.

Swissies are very comical. They read minds. They “talk” and “smile.” You might find your Swissy mumbling or growling softly and tossing their heads up or their whole bodies. They are usually trying to tell you something, whether it be; let me out, play with me, more water or food etc., or “smiling”. When you pet them they lean in and never want it to stop. They have great personalities.

More Things to Think About and Do
Search for as much information as possible on the breed

Become familiar with large breed dogs

Make sure all family members are comfortable around large breed dogs

Research training classes in your area

Research Vets that know large breed dogs in your area

Research all medical issues of this breed as well as other large breed dogs to familiarize yourself with any possible problems

Investigate pet health insurance

Read books on housebreaking, training and care of dogs (preferably anything by Ceaser Millan)

Meet some Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs in person

Make sure you have an adequate home and yard for a large breed dog

Plan on having this dog as a family pet, sharing your living space with it

Make sure you have the ability to afford a premium dog food (with meat as the first ingredient and no fillers, Swissies tummies can be temperamental), medical care, training classes and other necessary items.

Be careful with table scraps. Dogs have different digestive and nutritional needs than humans. Read more